Jules Suzdaltsev

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Earth & Conservation

While there are many religious theocracies and secular democracies around the world, very few countries have found a way to bridge the gap between religion and politics.

The 18 Religions That Make Up Lebanon's Government

While there are many religious theocracies and secular democracies around the world, very few countries have found a way to bridge the gap between religion and politics. But in Lebanon, not only does there exist a democracy within a larger religious structure, there are actually 18 official religions built into the country's parliamentary system. So let's take a look at how and why a dozen and a half different sects are able to rule over one country.Lebanon's multi-religion government actually stems from its invading predecessor: the Ottoman Empire. From about 1516 to 1918, Lebanon was under the jurisdiction of this Empire, and around the 1830s, a system of reorganization by the Ottomans called "Tanzimat," declared that all citizens were equal under the law, regardless of their religious affiliation. For Lebanon, this was a problem, as the country's many different religions, spanning Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, had each established their own legal rules, which were implicitly unequal.Before Tanzimat, the Ottoman Empire stressed religious pluralism, with each religion considered it's own nation-like entity, called a "millet." Together these millets comprised the Empire, and had individual legal protections. Today, Lebanon operates under a similar system of religious pluralism called "confessionalism." Learn More:Aljazeera: <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/focus/lebanon2009/2009/06/200962114819360431.html" target="_blank">Lebanon's election system</a>NY Times: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/08/world/middleeast/08lebanon.html" target="_blank">U.S.-Backed Alliance Wins in Lebanon</a>BBC: <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-37821597" target="_blank">Lebanon: Michel Aoun elected president, ending two-year stalemate</a>

One probe into the Marianas Trench only had to go about 16,000 feet down to find physical remnants of actual garbage, not just waste byproducts.

How Did The Deepest Part Of The Ocean Get So Polluted?

One probe into the Marianas Trench only had to go about 16,000 feet down to find physical remnants of actual garbage, not just waste byproducts. Beer cans, plastic bags, even an entire, unopened can of SPAM was found resting along the Trench's wall. And unless it is removed, this trash can stay down there indefinitely, just piling up.Plastics, for example, are made up of super-strong carbon to carbon bonds. These bonds are not prone to being broken down by organic organisms; the material hasn't existed in nature long enough for there to have evolved much to break it down.In late 2016, a paper published in the journal Nature, examined the inhabitants of two of the deepest oceanic trenches in the world.Small little crustaceans called amphipods are the perfect study specimen, as they have fatty tissue, which stores not just fat but also any chemicals that are ingested.And despite these amphipods being located in two different parts of the world, thousands of feet below the surface, they were ALL contaminated by what are called "persistent organic pollutants" or POPs.Thanks to our sponsor for supporting DNews! Check out Graze <a href="https://www.graze.com/us/" target="_blank">here</a> and use coupon code DNEWS for a free snack box.Read More:Seeker: <a href="http://www.seeker.com/the-deepest-ocean-trenches-contain-high-levels-of-pollution-2261084838.html" target="_blank">The Deepest Ocean Trenches Contain High Levels of Pollution</a>NOAA: <a href="http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/explorations/ex1605/logs/apr22/welcome.html" target="_blank">Earth Day² - Encounters with Trash</a>Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution: <a href="http://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-016-0051" target="_blank">Bioaccumulation of persistent organic pollutants in the deepest ocean fauna</a>

China's market for movies is expanding at an insane rate.

Does China Run Hollywood?

China's market for movies is expanding at an insane rate. Over the course of roughly a decade, the country's box office sales have grown almost twice as fast as their economy at large, and in 2017 movie sales in China are expected to outnumber those in the US. This is due, in no small part, to the country's rapidly growing middle class. An estimated 76 percent of China's urban population will be considered middle class by 2022.So, Hollywood has an obvious financial incentive to appeal to a Chinese audience. But large production companies also have to consider whether their film will actually make it into Chinese theaters.An international quota system sets a cap on the number of foreign films that can screen in the country each year. In 2016 it was just 34. And although there are no official rules outlining what kind of movies the government will accept, it's pretty much assumed that anything critical of China won't make the cut. Learn More:LA Times: <a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-china-growth-20151105-story.html" target="_blank">China is on track to surpass U.S. as world's biggest movie market by 2017</a>Hollywood Reporter: <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/china-box-office-flatlines-2016-957831" target="_blank">China Box Office Flatlines in 2016</a>Business Insider: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hollywood-movies-in-china-2016-10/#red-dawn-changed-an-invading-army-from-chinese-to-north-korean-in-postproduction-13" target="_blank">18 Hollywood movies that pandered to China's giant box office</a>

Most countries focus on industrial output to measure their worth, boasting their high GDPs (Gross Domestic Product).

This Country Put Happiness Before Economy, But Did It Work?

Most countries focus on industrial output to measure their worth,  boasting their high GDPs (Gross Domestic Product). But that's not the case in Bhutan, a tiny Himalayan kingdom tucked between India and China. Bhutan focuses instead on a concept they call GNH, or Gross National Happiness.Often cited at the 'most authentic country in the world,' Bhutan is often seen as "a magic time machine," and it has a long history of isolationism in attempts to preserve its unique identity. After defeating Tibetan forces and feuding warlords in the 16th century, Bhutan's leader unified the country and cultivated a unique culture to differentiate itself from warring powers. A distinct Bhutanese identity emerged which emphasized a communal relationship with nature and a lifestyle centered around Buddhism.Bhutan avoided globalization and preserved its society in isolation for centuries. As the rest of the world modernized, Bhutan still had no currency, telephones, hospitals, or paved roads. It wasn't until the late 1960s that Bhutan cracked open its doors to the outside world and started to focus on development. But instead of hurriedly adopting western reforms, Bhutan's beloved Fourth King Jigme Singye Wangchuck invented Gross National Happiness to guide his country's progress.  Learn More:Telegraph: Profile: <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/bhutan/3408177/Profile-The-King-of-Bhutan-The-prince-who-brought-satellite-TV-to-Shangri-La.html" target="_blank">The King of Bhutan - The prince who brought satellite TV to Shangri-La</a>Aljazeera: <a href="http://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/2015/BhutaneseRefugees/" target="_blank">My Country is My Family: Resettling Bhutan's Refugees</a>Time: <a href="http://style.time.com/2012/09/16/bhutan-the-last-authentic-place-on-earth/" target="_blank">Bhutan: The Last Authentic Place on Earth</a>

Climate change is very real, and one of its biggest victims is Arctic sea ice.

Scientists' Crazy Plan To Refreeze The Arctic

Climate change is very real, and one of its biggest victims is Arctic sea ice. Since the 1980s, the amount of ice has, on average, dropped by more than 13 percent each decade.But we may not need to worry, because according to a paper just published in the journal, Earth's Future, scientists may have an ingenious solution. The plan is to "refreeze" ten percent of the arctic ice cap by using giant wind-powered pumps to cover the existing caps with salty seawater.When the seawater is sprayed on top of frozen ice and surrounded by the -40 degree celsius air, it freezes into new ice. According to the paper, it would take 10 million wind-powered pumps, outputting roughly 16.5 pounds of water per second, to add 3 feet of ice over ten percent of the Arctic Ocean. For every 4 feet of water pumped onto the surface, the ice will become roughly 3 feet thicker, a plan that, if it works, will postpone the loss of the ice caps by about 17 years for every year they do this.As the researchers say, "implementation over the entire Arctic in the early 2030s ... would reset the clock to the present day." That's great news because at the current rate, scientists estimate the polar ice caps will be entirely gone by 2030.Get 15% off <a href="http://www.domain.com" target="_blank">Domain</a> web hosting and domain names when you use coupon code DNEWS at checkout!Read More:Science Alert: <a href="http://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-have-announced-a-plan-to-refreeze-the-arctic-and-it-s-wild" target="_blank">Scientists Have Announced a Plan to 'Refreeze' the Arctic - and It's Wild</a>AGU Publications: <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2016EF000410/full" target="_blank">Arctic ice management</a>BBC: <a href="http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20160425-how-a-giant-space-umbrella-could-stop-global-warming" target="_blank">How a giant space umbrella could stop global warming</a>

In 2008, Iceland was hit by the global financial crisis and experienced its worst economic crash in history.

What Other Countries Can Learn From Iceland's Tourism Boom

In 2008, Iceland was hit by the global financial crisis and experienced its worst economic crash in history. Just two years later, the country witnessed a series of volcanic eruptions that stunted air travel and their tourism industry, reducing the number of passengers flying into Iceland's airports by about 30 percent.That's when Iceland's Tourism Board stepped in and kicked off its biggest foreign advertising campaign ever, producing promotional videos showing off Iceland's beautiful art, food and iconic landscapes. The country's two major airlines, Icelandair and WOW air, started offering budget flights, cutting prices in half, some to as low as $99 each way.As risky as it was, the tourism board's big gamble paid off. Today, around 27 percent of Iceland's 16 billion dollar GDP is a direct result of the tourism industry. But there are some drawbacks that come with tourism, including gentrification and displacement of locals. Can other countries facing economic collapse learn something from Iceland? Or are the risks too great?Thanks to our sponsor Graze.com! Visit <a href="http://graze.com" target="_blank">Graze</a> and enter code SEEKER to get a free sampler box.Learn More:Vox: <a href="http://www.vox.com/new-money/2016/10/18/13261804/iceland-tourism-on-the-rise" target="_blank">American tourists in Iceland will outnumber Iceland's population this year</a>Science Alert: <a href="http://www.sciencealert.com/iceland-is-the-most-peaceful-place-on-earth-according-to-the-stats" target="_blank">Iceland's Been Named the Most Peaceful Place on Earth for 6 Years Running</a>The New York Times: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/17/world/europe/reykjavik-iceland-tourism.html" target="_blank">Secret to Iceland's Tourism Boom? A Financial Crash and a Volcanic Eruption</a>

Space & Innovation

Falling meteors are likely to be many miles away from you, and although sound travels pretty fast, it is still much slower than the speed of light.

What Would You Hear If A Meteor Flew By?

Falling meteors are likely to be many miles away from you, and although sound travels pretty fast, it is still much slower than the speed of light. So, when you see the meteor, you shouldn't be able to hear the sound for another few minutes. But you do. So, what's going on?A paper published in the journal Scientific Reports, set out to solve this conundrum, which researchers believed had less to do with sound waves coming from the meteor, and more to do with the light waves!See, a meteor burning through the atmosphere becomes a very bright fireball and can even reach temperatures similar to the sun. It generates light in pulses, and this light shoots in all directions.The researchers' theory was that materials that absorb heat well, like leaves, fine hair, and dark clothing, will be heated by this meteors' light. When those objects are heated, the air directly around them is also heated, generating pressure waves, and these pressure waves create sound.So... what you're really hearing is the result of the light and heat, not the sounds of the meteor falling.Read More:Phys.org: <a href="https://phys.org/news/2017-02-sandia-explanation-hissing-noises-heard.html" target="_blank">Sandia researchers offer explanation for hissing and popping noises heard from meteors</a>Scientific Reports: <a href="http://www.nature.com/articles/srep41251" target="_blank">Photoacoustic Sounds from Meteors</a>American Meteor Society: <a href="http://www.amsmeteors.org/fireballs/faqf/#1" target="_blank">Fireball FAQs</a>

The West held most of the world's wealth through the 19th and 20th centuries, while comparatively, the rest of the world lived mostly in poverty.

India's Economy Will Overtake The U.S. By 2050, Here's How

The West held most of the world's wealth through the 19th and 20th centuries, while comparatively, the rest of the world lived mostly in poverty. The 1970s and 80s, however, brought fast economic growth to those poorer, less-developed countries, most notably to India.India's GDP has grown immensely since 1990. Today, the country's GDP is growing by an average of 7% per year, which is considerably higher than the global average of 2.6%. Researchers even predict India could hold up to 15% of global wealth by 2050, surpassing the U.S. and the European Union.President Donald Trump has pointed to this growth to show that the U.S. economy is lagging behind, but experts say the comparison is a lot more complicated than that. So how do India and the U.S. really compare, and what does India's economic growth mean for the international economy?Learn More:Forbes: <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2017/02/04/indias-gdp-growth-for-fiscal-2017-to-be-upwards-of-7-shaktikanta-das/#b278fc5653b5" target="_blank">India's GDP Growth For Fiscal 2017 To Be Upwards of 7% - Shaktikanta Das</a>Washington Post: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/10/21/donald-trump-says-india-and-china-are-beating-the-u-s-its-not-that-simple/?utm_term=.508239002e95" target="_blank">Sorry, Donald Trump: The U.S. can't grow like India and China</a>CNBC: <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2016/11/30/india-gdp-to-slow-dramatically-after-cash-crunch.html" target="_blank">India economic growth to slow dramatically after cash crunch</a>

With Brexit and President Trump's opposition to trade deals, the term "globalization" has become a regular part of today's political discussions.

How The Ancient Silk Road Pioneered Globalization

With Brexit and President Trump's opposition to trade deals, the term "globalization" has become a regular part of today's political discussions. Simply put, globalization refers to the circulation of goods and products internationally, and to understand how it works and why many modern countries have issues with it, economists are looking back to the Silk Road.One of humanity's first experiments with free, international trade, the Silk Road brought goods, including silk, through China and Central Asia, eventually expanding into Southeast Asia, India and the Mediterranean. But along with these goods came something less expected: a merging of culture, religion and language.  This merge is still happening today, and though there are benefits to it, staunch opponents of globalization argue that it's a threat to the world's cultural diversity. We can see this in action by looking at the world's currency. Most of Europe abandoned their distinct national denominations for the Euro and other countries are doing the same by adopting the U.S. dollar. In addition to currency, experts have predicted that due to globalization, only half of modern dialects will still exist by the year 2100. Learn More:UNESCO: <a href="http://en.unesco.org/silkroad/about-silk-road" target="_blank">About the Silk Road</a>BBC: <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8311000/8311069.stm" target="_blank">The death of language?</a>KQED: <a href="http://ww2.kqed.org/lowdown/2015/03/18/making-your-t-shirt-a-journey-around-the-world/" target="_blank">Where Does Your T-Shirt Come From? Follow Its Epic Global Journey</a>

Jules Suzdaltsev

Latest Posts From Jules

The 18 Religions That Make Up Lebanon's Government

How does the Lebanese government function and stay united with so many different religious sects?

How Did The Deepest Part Of The Ocean Get So Polluted?

Turns out, the bottom of the ocean is very, very polluted, more polluted than some of the most polluted regions on the surface of the globe.

Does China Run Hollywood?

With China's market for movies expanding at an insane rate, Hollywood now has a powerful new audience to consider.

Does China Run Hollywood?

With China's market for movies expanding at an insane rate, Hollywood now has a powerful new audience to consider.

This Country Put Happiness Before Economy, But Did It Work?

In Bhutan, the pursuit of happiness is more important than the pursuit of prosperity. But is it really what it seems?

Scientists' Crazy Plan To Refreeze The Arctic

Hint: It involves 10 million sea water pumps.

What Other Countries Can Learn From Iceland's Tourism Boom

Less than ten years after its worst economic crash ever, Iceland's tourism is now booming. So just how did it turn around?

Scientists' Crazy Plan To Refreeze The Arctic

Hint: It involves 10 million sea water pumps.

What Would You Hear If A Meteor Flew By?

If you ever watch a falling meteor, you might hear some weird sounds.

India's Economy Will Overtake The U.S. By 2050, Here's How

President Trump has pointed to India's economic growth to show that the U.S. is lagging, but how do India and the U.S. really compare?

What Would You Hear If A Meteor Flew By?

If you ever watch a falling meteor, you might hear some weird sounds.

How The Ancient Silk Road Pioneered Globalization

Positive or negative, we hear a lot about globalization in the modern era. But where did it all begin?